The ARC recently updated the following policies:
- Updated to emphasize a minimum 48-hour period, excluding the day of arrival, for acclimation of mice and rats obtained from approved commercial vendors. Contact DLAM Animal Health Services for minimum acclimation periods for other species.
- Note that animals intended for terminal experiments may be used prior to the end of the acclimation period following consultation with and approval by the veterinary staff; such policy exceptions are to be documented in the ARC protocol.
- Updated to include a new section on emergency procedures and the requirement to notify DLAM when moving health cases between the vivarium and a study area.
- A new version of the Study Area Management document (SAM Doc) is available in the policy and must be implemented at the next triennial review of the SAM Doc, or sooner if the SAM Doc is amended. Note that the new SAM Doc includes language regarding DLAM verification of sanitation procedures for enrichment items that are hand-washed.
- Links to the “Animals Outside Vivaria” sign and sample study area log are also provided.
We encourage you to review and discuss these policies with your research team, if they are relevant to your animal studies. All ARC policies are available on the ARC website: https://rsawa.research.ucla.edu/arc/policies.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at 310-206-6308 or arc@research.ucla.edu if you have any questions.